Thursday in the Thick of it

[LadyMaverick]

I asked DD for her work schedule so I would know when DGD7 would be here. DD work schedule (2 jobs) for the next few days =
Today - 14 hours - 3pm - 11pm at first job (8 hrs). 11pm - 5 am at the second job. (6 hours)
Friday - 16 hours= 11am - 5am at first job
Saturday = 17 hours = 10am-6pm at second job (8 hours) 8pm - 5am at first job. (9 hours)
Sunday - 15.5 hours = 11:30am - 6pm at second job. (6.5 hours) 8pm - 5am at first job (9 hours)

DD is basically working 100 hour work weeks. Add in travel time, bath & sleep and that leaves no time left. DD doesn't have a lazy bone in her body. When she is faced with a challenge she gets to work. When one job won't give her all the hours she wants then she adds a second job. I suspect she is staying maxed out busy to cope with the pain of the divorce. I suspect DGD7 will be staying with us almost full time for a while longer.

Homeschool is finished for the day. DS10 was so happy how well he focused today (me too).

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone! It is almost lunchtime here. I have discovered that one of my report fixes broke something else. I am trying to get an old copy of the report to figure out what I did. The "official" versions don't even have a connection from the displayed table to the data. The version I was given originally did, but it somehow got overwritten. (Or maybe I am remembering wrong?) I cannot see where it was implemented in any of the versions I have access to. And I am not sure where the info resides in the database (cryptic table and column names, would you think that Line1 is the same as County?).

Last night was the animal org meeting. We have a standing conference room reservation for 6-8 pm, but another group was given the room until 630. They were VERY nasty to us and pretended not to believe us, but we were able to point it out on the official printed schedule. To be fair, their own reservation until 630 was also there. We have had this slot for about 6 years, but they acted like we were liars. We are pretty sure they are going to try to take it over. Like we need more stress. If they had been nice, we might have reached a compromise, but nope, we are going to the management and remind them of our longstanding arrangement. Let them deal with the obnoxious folks. The dog program is having some challenges, but the board is united in opposing any invitation to the Chief Troublemaker and his minions to return. Deputy Troublemaker is now spreading rumors that the entire org is folding.

I didn't get much else done last night, because I didn't get home until 9 pm. (We had dinner after the meeting). This morning began with icy roads in Work City and it was my day to drive. DD16 will be over tonight for dinner and homework. I should get the paint color chosen and contact the contractor. I have so much to do for Christmas: order gifts, finish crochet, fix the guest toilet, and clean the house. I hope the governor gives us a half day Christmas Eve, it would sure make my life easier.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

LadyM: that work schedule is sad because it doesn't include dgd in your dd's life.

We're home now. I had dh drive me to the two store with map/globe stuff.

First, the fancy toy store, which had nothing worthwhile. There were great men's math socks but they were too small for dsil and they don't come in lady's sizes for dd. There were "get out of my kitchen!" socks which would be great for dsil as well, but they only came in lady's sizes. Talk about reinforcing stereotypes. No positive reinforcement for people who embrace all activities in life, not just those approved for their gender.

The world map placemat at that store had the continents on the back for an additional activity. Except North America didn't include Mexico. I'll forgive them for eliminated the Central American countries, even though the UN includes them in the definition of North America but Mexico is clearly part of NA and even the US recognizes that fact since Mexico has been part of the North American Free Trade Act for years and years.

On the other hand, the map store had lots of options. All included South Sudan (the latest country added in the world.) I picked up two kinds of globes and a book. All are meant to be handled by a small child. The book and one of the globes can be used together. The book has an index so we can use numbers to find things in the book (he loves doing that.)

Dd had a simplified globe in mind for him (without ocean currents and some other stuff like time-zones which were cluttering up their current globe) but still one that would not be robust enough to handle the limited fine-motor touch that dgs has because he's only 26 months old.

At the bulk food store, I got a present for ds's girlfriend (who will be at Christmas dinner) and dh bought me a fancy baking pan. I have what I need to start in on the baking, whenever I feel like doing it, no pressure, it doesn't have to be today.

The banking got done (which triggers a letter I must send) and dh picked up our Christmas newsletters. I guess I should get working on those so they can get in the mail. We have about 50 to get out and then the Christmas cards after that. We removed the spot to write a note to each person so it is just "Merry Christmas X!" and "Love,...KinC" to be done on each newsletter.

[DeeClutter]

Ambition I have none of today! Barely slept Tuesday night. Then last night I slept till 3 and was awake till 6:30. Fell asleep for a half hour or so and it was time to get up and go to breakfast with dbil/dsisil. I've done nothing today -not even make the bed (unless I count pulling the covers up). Took over a 2 hour nap in the recliner. I'm still tired. Know dd wants me to go to Trivia tonight and dh is kind of 'pushing' for me to go. Want to as we give two of our partners their Christmas gifts tonight. DD can't go next week as she has a hockey game. She made acrylic ornaments with a snowflake and "Something Stupid -2018" written on it. That's the name of our team but definitely not very truthful. In fact last week we were first (get a $50 card for that) with 148 out of 150 points. We often end up with one of the top 3 prizes so we have a good time. The way the name came about was one of the members couldn't be there the night a name was chosen. She told one of the other members: "Whatever you do, don't let J name it something stupid." And you can see where it went from there.

I need to go buy carrots and green beans for our turkey soup. DD put it together last night. But I'm having a hard time getting myself moving. And here it is 3pm!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Nothing done except putting away the purchases from today and trying my carpet sweeper on the kitchen floor (it has a floor setting.)

I've pulled the sweeper out from one of my storage areas and am actively looking for a permanent handy place to keep it. It works well to quickly sweep up visible stuff. While my back was out, I could use it to maintain the apartment until I was physically strong enough to vacuum. In less than 10 minutes I gave the apartment visible areas a quick sweep since I have no intention of vacuuming this week.

The use of the sweeper is part of the Roomba discussion my sister, dd, ds and I are having. For my life (and sis's) the Roomba really isn't practical because you have to spend so much time cleaning up. As my sister says, she'd rather use an electric broom type device and push the shoes out of the way, then let the Roomba get hung up in a particular room. Plus her Roomba wouldn't make the 'leap' from her wooden floor to the kitchen floor (about 1/2" drop.) So it had to physically be put in the kitchen when she wanted that room swept. For me it won't mount my anti-fatigue mats in the kitchen, bathroom or office and possibly not the bedroom either (although those ones have a 'ramp' type lip so may work.

I have no place to plug in one of those little sweepers to charge and dd's died after less than 2 years (the battery would no longer hold a charge.) I do have a plug in electric broom but it doesn't suck. Literally. As in, this is a bad thing. On the other hand, it was $30.

The old fashioned carpet sweeper does as good or better a job as the electric broom and is quieter. For something like spilled flour or sugar the electric broom would be better first, followed by a damp cloth or mop. But for most other cases, the carpet sweeper is a better second choice to the vacuum itself.

[lucylee]

I am in the thick of... NOTHING today!!! Hallelujah!!! Ddil called on her way to work and said, "What are you doing today?" And I could truthfully and joyously say, "NOTHING. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING."
Soooo grateful for dbro coming and giving me a break. Next week will be very hectic again, but then he will be back for Christmas week and maybe after that, things can slow down at least a little bit.
I haven't even talked to him or dmom today. I just trust everything went okay.

Dmom told me the other day, when I asked if she thought she could remember to take her meds, etc correctly, "Well, of course I can. And Lucy, if something happens and I mess up, if it kills me, you just have to believe that it was the Lord's time to take me." (I do NOT believe this is anything of a veiled warning or anything like that, she was just saying what she went on to say: " Sometimes you just have to accept that you cannot control EVERYTHING. You should have surely learned that during (my dinlaws') sicknesses. Sometimes things happen that are just out of your control, and you just have to trust that it is God's will and He is taking care of it."
That IS true, isn't it? I want sooo badly to have EVERYTHING under control and working PERFECTLY in my life and all my family's life... and that just isn't always going to happen.

I am currently waiting for a call-back from the people I ordered dbil's gift from -- they want to confirm my physical address. For some reason, it never shows up correctly on most people's gps. I don't know what the deal is. UPS and FedEx always seem to find us anyway. It is pretty important that these people find us because it is the steak people you see advertised on tv all the time... and that's not the sort of thing you want to get lost in transit. (They come packed in dry ice, but say you must put in your own freezer ASAP. And they better not mis-deliver to dbil next-door, b/c that would sort of ruin the surprise, wouldn't it? * sheesh *)
Then I need to shower, wash my hair... and then cook supper (for the first time in at least a week! )
After supper I have a church meeting, and after that dh and I are going to a movie. We both wanted so badly to see the new Clint Eastwood movie, but apparently it will not start until tomorrow. Usually when movies have a Friday start date, they will be on at our theaters on Thursday night, but so far, it doesn't look like this one will.

Hope you all have a good day!

[Nancy]

Back from walking the dog. Sheets are on the bed.
Time to put the next load in the dryer.
Puppet is done.

[Lynlee]

thick of it Friday.
Between cyclone Owen wannabe a 4 before crossing from the gulf, and the antartic low that swept in from the bight there is a nation long trough of wetness that arrived here overnight. The waiting is on to see how it actually all performs beyond the modelling, but to the south there are already many caught short of anywhere to go as roads disappeared. Maybe they got to somewhere else and out of their cars overnight. Hopefully.
On the good news, the bush fire areas that ravaged our east coast state in past few weeks are getting a good soaking, so maybe some green will reappear.

I did get washing done in previous days at least.
Shopping got done, though, not the trip to change library books.
Making phone calls would have been better done without the sound of rain thumping on the metal roof.

I have helper coming today, and need prep for that, and play catch up on many fronts. Also need to have a discussion with someone from that agency. I'm attempting a change in days, and am not sure how it will play out in reality.
Bah humbug.

[Elizabeth]

Well, I have 7 minutes before leaving payroll. I got another report modified and uploaded and the chance of me getting something useful done (without messing anything else up) is negligible. So I came here to CUOP. What I want to get done tonight: decide on paint color and balance checkbook I think I will check my bank account to see if the insurance check has come in. Yesterday, I sent an email to my financial advisor asking what I should do with the unexpected cash infusion. I have not heard back, but I sent it at 430.

I think I will make a list of the next report mods needed.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

We ended up going out for dinner at the same restaurant as last week. Two for two for good meals and excellent service. It is handy to us so we will return. And if we are careful we get a second meal from the leftovers although it would be easy to eat the whole serving.

Now to the theatre. The play is It's a Wonderful Life. Apparently it is long but enjoyable.